Singer-songwriter Cassie has accused rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs of repeated physical and sexual abuse over a period of more than a decade, according to a new lawsuit obtained by HuffPost.
The 35-page complaint, filed in New York, details numerous allegations during and after their relationship, which began when Cassie was 19 and Diddy was 37. Among the numerous allegations, Cassie claims that Diddy forced her to engage in sexual acts with male sex workers while he watched and recorded her, and then raped her After their breakup, he forced his way into her home and blew up the car of rapper-producer Kid Cudi, who had been romantically interested in her.
Kid Cudi backed up the claim about his car in a statement from a spokesperson to The New York Times.
Cassie claims in the lawsuit, first reported by The New York Times, that he regularly beat her, even in front of his employees, and that he pushed her into drug addiction. In one case, Cassie claims that Diddy “dangled” a friend of hers over a balcony.
“After years of silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story and speak up for myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships,” says Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, said in a statement to HuffPost.
According to his lawyer Ben Brafman, Diddy “vehemently denies” the allegations.
In addition to Diddy, the lawsuit also names Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records, Epic Records, Comb Enterprises and ten other unnamed “Doe Corporations” as defendants.
The lawsuit comes as several other allegations of physical and sexual abuse against men in the entertainment industry have emerged in recent weeks. Former Recording Academy president Neil Portnow and former Epic Records CEO Antonio “LA” Reid are also facing allegations. And actress and singer Keke Palmer has accused her ex-boyfriend of abuse and is seeking sole custody of their child.
The lawsuit also comes a few months after Diddy returned publishing rights to his artist signees at Bad Boy Entertainment in September. Singer Aubrey O’Day of Danity Kane, a group signed to Bad Boy, said the rights would only be available to Bad Boy artists if they signed a nondisclosure agreement that prevented them from disparaging Diddy and his companies , Complex reported.
Cassie acknowledged that the lawsuit was filed because of New York’s soon-to-expire Adult Survivors Act, which allows people seeking to investigate allegations of sexual abuse to sue their abusers even after the statute of limitations has expired.
“It became clear that this was an opportunity to speak about the trauma that I have experienced and will continue to recover from for the rest of my life,” Cassie said in her statement.
Brafman claims Cassie demanded Diddy pay $30 million “under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was clearly dismissed as blatant blackmail.”
“Although Ms. Ventura has retracted her original threat, she is now filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies designed to tarnish Mr. Combs’ reputation and demand back pay,” Brafman said.
Cassie’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, dismissed Brafman’s lawsuit, saying that Combs “offered” her the money to “silence her and prevent this lawsuit from being filed.”
“She rejected his efforts and decided to give a voice to all women suffering in silence. Ms. Ventura should be commended for her courage,” Wigdor told HuffPost.
The news began trending on X, formerly known as Twitter, when discussions about Cassie and Diddy arose.
Many social media users pointed out that a variety of unconfirmed rumors about Diddy’s abuse have been circulating online for years, but the lawsuit appears to add additional weight to what was only hearsay.
Singer Dawn Richard, who belonged to the music groups Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money, also took part in the online chat.
“I pray for Cassie and her family, for peace and healing. You are beautiful and brave,” Richard wrote on X.
O’Day, who was also a part of Danity Kane, spoke out in support of Cassie online and to Page Six.
“I’ve been trying for years. Prayers for this queen,” O’Day wrote on her Instagram Story.
Do you need help? Visit RAINN’s National Online Sexual Assault Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center website.